


Chemistry Hell

by Petri808



Series: Fairytail AU Short Stories & One Shots [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Cheerleader, F/M, Happy Ending, High School AU, Popularity, chemistry club, sterotyping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 08:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18028268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petri808/pseuds/Petri808
Summary: Popular cheerleader Lucy Heartfilia needs some extra tutoring for Chemistry, when her teacher sets up a session with the chemistry club president Natsu Dragneel.  Things don't start off so well when stereotyping rears its ugly head and he'll need to fix a mess that he creates.





	Chemistry Hell

“I’m sorry Ms. Heartfilia,” the teacher hands her back her latest practice exam results, “I know you try really hard in this class, but maybe Chemistry is just not your subject.  Most students struggle with a subject or two, that’s normal.”

“But it’s going to pull my GPA down if I can’t boost my grade in this class.”  Lucy slumps back into her seat, “and if that happens my dad might make me quit the cheer squad.”

Professor Warren crosses his arms in a relaxed manner, leaning back against a near by desk. After a couple minutes he taps his chin, “maybe one of my AP chemistry students could tutor you…. yeah,” he sits up straighter, “I’ll just ask my top kid, I’m sure he’ll agree to it.  Does Thursday after school work for you?  You two can just use my classroom for an hour or so then figure out a schedule of your own from there.”

“That would be great! Thank you, Mr. Warren!”

Lucy was a bit nervous all through her Thursday classes, wondering who this tutor was going to be, and _praying_ that they’d be able to help her with her problem.  It wasn’t that the grade was horrible, for many kids, C’s still got you a degree. But for her, well mainly her father, it wasn’t good enough.  B’s or higher, that was the deal and she’d had to beg and plead just for that.  To him anything lower than an A was a disgrace. 

She adjusts the strap of her backpack and picks up the pace.  It would be horrible to make a bad impression on the first meeting.  Lucy envisioned a shy or introverted guy, probably the typical nerdy type with glasses the whole nine yards and she wanted to do her best to put him at ease.  Everyone assumed because she was a popular cheerleader that she’d be extroverted or even ditzy when in reality Lucy was top of their class in English, top 10 percent in history and loved nothing more than to curl up with a good book to read at home or in some tiny coffee shop.  The giggly, bubbly blonde routine was all for show on the field, but it wasn’t exactly who she was.

As Lucy entered the room, professor Warren was speaking with a young man near his desk and she presumed it was her tutor.  _Pink hair, I think I’ve seen that kid around._  Sometimes hunched over a book in the library or quickly weaving through the crowded hallways, she’d never gotten a good look at his face before.  But now standing still, Lucy noted he was possibly a foot taller than her, in decent shape.  She cocks an eyebrow, _he fills out the polo uniform nicely_.   Even the glasses were becoming of him.

Seeing her enter, the teacher ends his conversation and waves Lucy over.  “This,” placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder, “Ms. Heartfilia is Natsu Dragneel.  He’s the President of the Chemistry Club and probably the smartest student we have here when it comes to science.  I’m sure he’ll be able to help you out, oh and I already went over with him what I think you could work on so he could tailor the tutoring sessions.  With that I’ll leave you two.”

By the time the teacher left the room, an awkward silence had slowly begun to bloom.  Assuming her suspicions were accurate, Lucy takes it upon herself to break the ice.  She sticks out her hand, “Hi!  It’s nice to meet you Natsu!”  

Natsu cups the back of his neck with a slightly heated flush.  It’s not often, okay well maybe more on the rare side that he’s ever this close to a female and let alone one this pretty.  He shakes her hand, “yeah, nice to meet you too,” but quickly withdraws it.  “Shall we get started?  I assume you have better things you’d rather be doing.”

 _Well that was a little rude._   But Lucy ignores the snide comment, simply smiling again and nods, following Natsu to a set of tables where he’s already got some papers set up.  _Maybe he’s just socially graceless_ , she shrugs to herself and takes a seat opposite him. 

As Natsu shuffles through what looks like practice sheets, Lucy folds her arms and lays them on the table, leaning over a bit to watch.  She’s gotten used to her own body and how her boobs tend to squish up from this position, but while most guys at least glance, Natsu doesn’t even batt and eye.  _Weird._   Oh, well, it’s not like she wanted that to happen, frankly Lucy hated guys who thought she was one of those, _‘do anything to be popular,’_ girls.  “Say, I wanna thank you for helping me Natsu.  I really need to get my grade up to at least a B in this class, so the tutoring is gonna be a real help.”

“Don’t worry, and I won’t tell anyone you’re getting extra help.” 

“Why would I care?”

“I assumed you have an image to keep up, being one of the popular kids and all.” 

Lucy’s eyebrow twitches, but she keeps her calm, “thanks for the concern, but no it’s not a problem if anyone knows.”

“Alright,” Natsu places a piece of paper in front of her, “let’s get started then.” 

For the first 20 minutes or so, the problems were fairly easy for Lucy, she understood them, but as they grew progressively more difficult so did Natsu’s attitude towards her.  At first, she brushed it off, reasoning in any way to justify the rude attitude.  She needed this help and if he was the best, she would try her hardest to endure some discomfort….

He runs his hand down his face with a groan, “for the third time, calorimetry is about _measuring_ the amount of heat released or absorbed during a chemical reaction because that tells you if the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.  So, that still means whether its bomb calorimetry or constant pressure calorimetry, heat flows are always measured the same way, through temperature changes. See,” he stabs at the problem listed on the paper with his finger, “E, the answer is E!”     

“Oh…. I-I’m sorry, I’ll get it the next time.” 

“Sure,” scratching out the answer and grabbing a new sheet, mumbling, “that’s what you said last time.”

The tears Lucy had been holding back burst free.  She couldn’t take it anymore.  “Look I’m sorry!  I’m trying my best here and…”

“Maybe if you put as much effort into this as you probably do with cheer, you’d get it.”

That was it.  Without another word, Lucy grabs her things, shoves it haphazardly into her backpack and runs out of the room desperately trying to wipe away the tears that cloud her vision.  _He is such an asshole!_   She had enough people judging her just because she did cheer, and she didn’t need the guy who was supposed to be helping her doing it too!  Cheer was a great way to get some exercise and yeah, while some of the other members were looking at it as a means of popularity, she wasn’t one of them.  _He’s just like my father!_

Natsu had brushed off the girl’s reaction.  Sure, he could have been nicer but what for?  He had meant what he said and maybe if she focused more on her studies she wouldn’t be struggling.  Oh well, they ran in different crowds anyways and while Professor Warren might give him hell for it, what was that old man going to do?  They needed him to win the Decathlon. 

 

Back at school the next day in the library, Natsu was focused on his Pokemon Go! when suddenly, another firecracker slaps him in the back of the head….  The thwomp sound that echoed in the room was loud enough to gain the librarians attention, but before Natsu could really respond or protest, said feisty girl had started to pack up his belongings.  “Levy?  What the hell?!”

“You’re coming with me!” she shoves the bag in his chest and through gritted teeth, “somewhere I can scream at you as loud as I want to!”

“I’m not…” Levy raises her book to hit him again.  “Okay, Okay!” putting up his hands in defeat.  “Just don’t hit me again!”

“No guarantees,” she grabs his shirt sleeve and drags him from the room.  Every door she passes, Levy scans it and finally, almost to the end of the hall, she finds an empty classroom and pushes Natsu inside. “Sit,” she points at the nearest desk while she closes the door to muffle her shouting from the hallway.     

“I still don’t know what your problem is,” Natsu drops his backpack next to the chair.  “Why the hell did you hit me so hard too?” he rubs at the slow forming tender spot where she’d smacked him, “it friggen hurts!”

“Well you deserve it!” Levy finally takes a stance in front of him, leaning against another desk.  “How can you be in such a good mood, knowing you made a poor girl cry yesterday?!”

“How’d you know about that?”

“Lucy is one my closest friends and she called me in tears last night!  Why the hell were you so mean to her?  I’ve never known you to be such an asshole Natsu.  I mean,” throwing her hands up, “was she rude, did she do something, say something to piss you off?  Lucy’s always been a sweet person too so what the hell happened?”

Natsu sits back in his chair, crossing his arms with a furrowed brow.  “I didn’t know she would be friends with someone like us.  I assumed she was, you know, one of _those people_.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!  Those people?”

 

“Like the popular girls, the stuck up, spoiled kids that thumb their noses at us, plus I know she’s rich.  I bet she was only getting tutoring cause they need to maintain a certain GPA to be on a team.”

Levy’s demeanor switches and if he thought she was angry before, Natsu swore steam was starting to rise from her head.  “Natsu,” she pinches the bridge of her nose in disgust, “Lucy is on the cheer team because she enjoys it, and she’s certainly not even close to what you think.” Looking back up, “for starters her English and History scores are higher than mine and yours.  Chemistry is really the only class she struggles in.  And lastly, yeah, she might come from money, but she’s one of the most down to Earth people I know!” 

Standing up and slamming a closed fist on the desk and setting Natsu into a straightened sitting position, “you hate it when others stereotype us and that’s exactly what you did to her!”  All the blood drains from the young man’s face.  But his stunned silence does not go unnoticed.  “Natsu,” Levy leans back against the other desk with a long exhale, “you need to make this right and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Alright,” he holds up his hands in defeat before slumping in his chair.  “But… W-What am I supposed to do?  I can’t, I mean I wouldn’t know what to even say besides I’m sorry.” Natsu grabs his bag from the floor and places it in his lap. 

“Well you better figure it out by tomorrow…”

“Wait!  T-Tomorrow?!”

Nodding, “tomorrow, 1 pm and don’t you dare be late, meet us at Fae’s Diner understood?”

“But…”

“Excuse me?” her eyebrow twitches.

“Never… Never mind,” he mumbles and clutches the bag tighter like a shield, “I’ll be there…” 

 

Around 9pm that evening, there’s a knock at Natsu’s bedroom door, just seconds before his mother is walking in with 2 cups of steaming hot chocolate.        

“Mom?” he sits up on his bed.  “What are you doing here?” 

She hands a mug to him and sits on his computer chair facing him.  “Think I don’t know my son well enough?  You barely touched your dinner and for a boy that usually gets second or third helpings…” taking a sip of her drink, “something is wrong.”

“I’m fine,” looking anywhere but his mom and sipping at the chocolatey drink, “maybe I’m just coming down with a cold or something.”

“Oh, I see….  Should I make an appointment with the doctor so he can poke and prod at you?”  Placing the mug on the desk, she clasps her hands together in contemplation, “hmm, or better yet force you to drink that nasty medicine you love so much?  Yeah…. I know I still have half a bottle left…”

“I give, I give!  No gross meds!”  Natsu closes his eyes with a sigh, “I made a girl cry on Thursday and now I need to figure out how to apologize.”

“Forget the meds, you deserve a slap instead!  I didn’t raise my son to be mean to girls!”

“Please don’t,” he cringes, “Levy already cracked me a good one,” rubbing the back of his head, “it still throbs.”

“I knew I liked that girl for a reason.” Settling back in her chair and picking up her mug, “Alright son, tell me what happened.”

“It all started when Professor Warren asked me to tutor a girl…”

For the next 30 or so minutes, Natsu went through the entire story from start to finish leaving nothing for the imagination.  It was tough, admitting to all the rude comments and watching his mother’s reactions. He could tell she was deeply ashamed of how he had behaved but still she sat there not saying a word until the very end. 

“… so that’s everything,” his head hung in shame, voice quieted.  “Levy was right, I judged her before getting to know her first.  Mom, I’m such an idiot,” he settles the empty mug on his bed with a groan, “she’s so pretty too,” a slight flush alighting his cheeks, “and smart.  I checked around and what Levy said about her kicking my butt in English is totally true.” 

His mother could see the pain behind her son’s expression, feel the weight being shouldered through a shaky voice.  There was no reason to admonish him any more than he was already beating himself up over. Her drink now cold and long forgotten, she stands up and sits on the edge of the bed next to him, placing a reassuring hand on his knee.

“Natsu, the important thing is you realize what you did was wrong.  Yes, it took Levy knocking some sense into you, but at least you have the opportunity to fix things and start over with this Lucy girl.”  Giving his knee a gentle squeeze, “now, you say you think she’s pretty?”  She giggles and he nods lightly while the blush re-erupts upon his cheeks.  “My son’s first little crush!”

“Mom, so not funny!” He harrumphs, crossing his arms in a dramatic manner.

“I know, I know,” she chuckles, “I’m sorry forgive an old woman for her amusements.  So, do you have a picture of her?”

“Um,” looking over at his bookshelf, “yeah she should be in a yearbook.”  Natsu stands up and grabs it from the shelf, flipping through the pages as he walks back.  “Here,” he hands his mom the open book, pointing towards a photo.  “That’s her, Lucy Heartfilia.”

She looks closely at the high-quality black and white photo, noting the fresh-faced young girl indeed was pretty, despite not being in color.  “Heartfilia…. As in Heartfilia Enterprises?  Boy son, you sure know how to pick ‘um.”

“Why, what’s so special about it?  I know she’s got some money.”

“Her family was one of the wealthiest in our city, I mean Jude Heartfilia is still rich but after his wife passed away about 10 years ago, he lost some of that fortune because of all the medical expenses her illness left behind.”

“Oh man,” Natsu plops back onto his bad, “you’re telling me the girl I made cry’s mother is dead? Great, that makes me feel even worse now.”

“You said you have to meet them tomorrow, right?  That’s your chance to apologize and make it up to her.  So, what are you planning to say or do?”

“I have no idea!  Ugh, I’m not good at talking with girls…”

“Tell ya what Natsu, tomorrow morning I’ll take you to the store and we’ll go look for a small gift, flowers, or something.  Do you think you can find out what she might like, maybe stuffed animals, anything?”

“I can text Levy, she’ll probably give me some pointers.”

“That’s a start.  As for what you’ll say, just show her the same emotions you showed me tonight, about how sorry you are for hurting her like that.  If you are genuine, I’m sure she will accept your apology.  It sounds like she’s a sweet girl, so hopefully she’ll forgive you, or at least won’t be mad at you anymore.”

“Okay…  I’ll text Levy too.”

“Good,” standing up, his mom grabs the two mugs ready to leave, “get some rest, we’ll leave after breakfast.”

“Thanks mom.”

“You’re welcome Natsu.”

 

He didn’t know how long he had been pacing in the alley next to Fae’s diner.  An hour or was it only 30 minutes?  Checking, rechecking the time on his phone as the minutes ticked down closer and closer to 1 pm.  Should he be early?  Right on time?  Definitely not late.  Yes, certainly that would be bad.  Natsu removes his glasses and wipes at the sweat building upon his brow, why’d it have to be so hot today?  As if his nervousness wasn’t bad enough, going in there looking like he’d just left the gym was _sure_ to make such a wonderful impression!

The pink and white flowers he’d chosen based on Levy’s recommendation were holding up nicely despite the humidity, and the blue stuffed cat doll he’d bought, Natsu hoped Lucy would like it.  He thought it was adorable, a blue cat with these big round eyes and a silly grin…. It was so goofy, it just had to gain him some kind of smile out of the girl! 

12:50pm.          

Ten more minutes. Natsu gulps down the scant amount of saliva quickly drying up in his throat.  All morning his mother had helped him rehearse what he could say to the girl without looking like a complete and utter dork…. But dang it to hell, this is the most nervous he’s even been in his life!  Give him a battle of chemical formulas against his nemesis at Saber High any day compared to this!  Throw him off a cliff and tell him to swim, even that might be preferable.  He was ready to give his apology once coming to terms and accepting how wrong he’d been, but now it reverted back to talking to a girl and Lucy was a very pretty, intelligent one.  _AHHHHHHHH!_   There’s a reason Natsu’s never had a girlfriend before.

12:55pm.

A low groan slash whine leaches from his throat as he tucks the phone back in his pocket and walks to the front of the restaurant.  This was the moment of truth, _suck it up Natsu!  Dig deep and just get this over with!_   He grabs onto the door handle and walks on in, his gifts tucked close like a shield. 

It takes his eyes a moment to scan before landing upon the blonde and blue-headed girls sitting in a booth near the back of the restaurant.  Whatever Levy was saying to her friend must have been interesting if the adorable laughter erupting from the girl was any indication.  Were Lucy’s brown eyes always that bright?  _Probably would’a seen it last time if you’d made the girl laugh instead of cry._   _Ouch_ , stabbed in the heart by his own subconscious.  Natsu’s feet carry him slowly towards the girls with stuttered advancements despite the flight mode dancing in his mind.

As he reaches within a few feet of the table, it’s Levy who first turns, and Lucy, curious as to why her friend had suddenly stopped talking, shifts in her seat….  The once beautiful shine slowly receding into a look of horror.  “What are you doing here!  I-I don’t wanna see you ever again!”

But it wasn’t Natsu, instead Levy who speaks up and places a hand on her friend’s shoulder.  “Lu, I invited him here cause he wanted to apologize. I’ve known you both for a long time, and I promise he really is sorry for acting like that, it’s not how he normally behaves.” 

“I don’t know…” Lucy crosses her arms and cringes back, “that… that really hurt.”

“Please,” a quiet male voice interjects, bringing both girls attentions to him, “I just wanna apologize, a-and if after that you never wanna see me again I promise I will stay away.”

“Lu, remember what I told you that night?  Just give him a chance please, for me?”

She honestly didn’t remember a lot from that telephone conversation because she was too upset to think clearly.  Lucy takes a moment to reflect and the only thing she could think of was an incident that happened to Natsu freshman year with another girl on the squad.  That girl was graduated now but Levy thinks it still bothers him and that’s why he treated her the way he did.  Not that it made it okay, but that at least she could understand it wasn’t just how he acted normally.

“Alright… I’ll hear him out.”

“Good,” Levy slides out of the booth, “I’ll go grab us refills, Natsu would you like something?” He shakes his head.  Motioning for him to sit, “Okay, then I’ll be back.” 

Natsu moves to take the spot opposite of Lucy but pauses and juts out the flowers and cat, “H-Here, I got these for you.”

“Oh,” she tentatively accepts, “thank you Natsu, you really didn’t need to…”

“I wanted to do something,” cupping the back of his neck, crimson rushing along his cheeks as he takes a seat and sinks into the faux leather.  “Talking with girls unless its school stuff, isn’t something… we-well the little experience I’ve had didn’t end so well and, I mean I get so nervous about what to say you know…”  Taking a large gulp of air, “I’m really, really, really sorry I behaved like a total asshole to you!  I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d be like the others…”  Natsu hangs his head and covers his face the moment he feels the tears welling up, “Mom was right, she _didn’t raise a son_ to be mean to girls and yet look at what I did….” Little trails of liquid slipping along his cheeks, his voice quieting the longer he rambles.  “You were so nice, never made me feel like the weird geek….  Fuck I’m such an idiot that I don’t deserve being forgiven…” 

Part of her wanted to stay mad at him at least for a little longer, turn the screws so to speak.  But the longer she watched him unravel…. _He’s crying…._ this guy is crying… in public….   _Since when do guys cry in public?!_    Lucy had set her gifts to the side as her own heart slowly bled for the young man.  Natsu really wasn’t such a bad guy after all in fact, his melt down made her drift back to the moments before he’d first opened his mouth in that classroom. Adorably handsome, glasses and all and now showing he has a sensitive side too...  Lucy picks up the stuffed animal to scrutinize it.  What a silly looking blue cat!  Like a character in one of her favorite fantasy novels, it was so cute!  Smiling to herself, _he did well, picking this for me._  Muffled light sobs tear her away from fawning over the toy and back to the situation. Her heart dropping at the sight.

With his head propped on his elbows and face buried in his hands, Natsu was too ashamed _or afraid_ to look up and see Lucy’s reactions.  He hadn’t noticed when she’d slipped from her seat until a warm set of arms and sweet vanilla fragrance wrapped itself around and startled him.  Expecting maybe Levy had returned, he straightens out quickly, turning, only to see the beautiful blonde smiling at him.  “Lucy?”

“I forgive you Natsu.” Lucy takes his glasses off and sets them on the table, wiping away at the streaks along his cheeks, “so please stop crying and let’s start over again.”

His gleaming onyx eyes flecked with green practically danced, “D-Do you really mean it?  I mean yeah, I’d really like that!” 

“Great!” Lucy beams back. “I’m glad you apologized, cause now I got to see the real you…  and it’s really sweet.  I hope we can be friends from now on.”

“Wait, I thought you just meant tutoring, y-you actually wanna be friends with me?”

“Of course!  Why wouldn’t I wanna get to know someone like you!”  _Giggling,_ “it’s so rare to find a guy who is smart, sweet and cute.”

Natsu deadpans and if his face now matched his hair color he wouldn’t be surprised, “n-no way.”

“Well of course,” her voice coquette, looking up shyly, “that’s only if you wanna be friends.”   

“I’d really like that…”


End file.
